Colleges and universities across the country have increased worries about the mental health of their students. The pandemic certainly impacted this trend, but wellness on college campuses is something that has been becoming more important for more than a decade, as visits to campus counseling centers nationally have been climbing. 

On Friday, Oct. 14th, Temple University canceled its classes to provide students a wellness day. From spending time with friends to sleeping in, students were able to enjoy the day the best way they could. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, the idea for a day off came from a group discussion on ways that academic policies affect student anxiety.    

Even though Temple’s wellness day happened during midterm season, which is a particularly stressed time of the semester, the university encouraged the students to not do any schoolwork and enjoy the day to relax and have fun. For people who decided to stay on campus, activity kits — such as “how to keep a plant alive” or a “make and take” snack, and more — were being distributed, so students could create their own wellness day.  

Some students went camping, while others headed into Center City for some distraction. Turning on their laptops wasn’t on anyone’s plans. 

Besides taking some time to relax from assignments, Gianni Quattrocchi, President of Student Government, mentioned how Temple students also have to constantly worry about public safety —  as a rash of robberies and shootings keep happening near campus.  

Other universities in the region have also taken measures to improve students’ well-being. New chief wellness officers and weekly wellness activities are some of the initiatives that have been done by institutions like University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University, La Salle University and Pennsylvania State University. 

To read more about how Temple students enjoyed the day off, as well as what other universities are doing to address mental health, click here.